Findings From Respond to Prevent: A Four-State Study to Improve Provision of Naloxone, Buprenorphine, and Nonprescription Syringes in Community Pharmacies

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

4:30 PM – 5:45 PM ET

Location: International Ballroom E

Presenter(s)

Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc

Professor and Director
Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Brandeis University
Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University
Wayland, Massachusetts
Jeffrey P. Bratberg, PharmD, FAPhA

Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice
University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy
Attleboro, MA
Adriane N. Irwin, MS, PharmD, BCACP

Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice
Oregon State University College of Pharmacy
Corvallis, Oregon
Anthony Floyd, PhD

Research Scientist
University of Washington
Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute
Seattle, Washington

Moderator(s)

Daniel Blaney-Koen, JD

Senior Legislative Attorney
American Medical Association
Chicago, Illinois

Community pharmacies play a pivotal role in improving opioid safety and public health by dispensing naloxone, medications for opioid use disorder, and nonprescription syringes for safe injection. RESPOND TO PREVENT (R2P) is a multi-faceted educational intervention to address barriers to implementation of these harm reduction interventions by aiming to change pharmacist’s attitudes, improve pharmacist’s knowledge, implement sustainable store-level practices, and improve workflow and pharmacist-patient interactions. R2P was first implemented in 2019 into two large community pharmacy chain businesses across four states with different opioid risk geographies: Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

In this session, investigators from each state will share new findings from the study and implications for pharmacy opioid safety interventions. Key findings will include: (1) the readiness of pharmacies to adopt and implement the study interventions, (2) implementing academic detailing of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians for opioid safety and stigma reduction, and (3) using “secret shopper” techniques to assess protocol adherence. Pharmacies vary in their readiness to address stigma reduction and opioid safety but, with tailored supports, are able and willing to provide naloxone and other harm reducing interventions.

Learning Objectives:

Identify why readiness is important for pharmacy-based intervention
Describe best practices for academic detailing in community pharmacies
Explain how use of fidelity checking and peer share-back methods can promote better and more equitable access to pharmacy naloxone